Jun 30, 2026
"Every time, no question..."
- Prodigy
This has been a big year, with the 200th episode, and now the last birthday before the show reaches adulthood - this is the seventeenth birthday edition! As part of the celebration, please indulge me while I play some tracks I just really wanted to hear myself 🙂 In this month's selection, we have tracks from some true veterans (including the late Prodigy of Mobb Deep) alongside some releases from artists just starting to make their mark. Tempo-wise, we ramp it up over the course of the episode, kicking off with a deep Meyhem Lauren cut with a heavy, grimy sound...
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Playlist/Notes
Meyhem Lauren & Harry Fraud : Yucca
This track from "Glass 2.0" deserves inclusion for that intro alone - I'll never look at a swordfish the same way again :) There's plenty more here though, as Meyhem Lauren flows confidently through one long unbroken verse over a woozy Harry Fraud beat. Pretty much every time you listen to a new Meyhem cut, you're going to hear a word or turn of phrase you can't imagine any other MC using, and this is no exception! There are some great instrumentals
Lord Finesse : Abstrakt Neo Synopsis
Finesse's "The SP1200 Project: A Re-Awakening" album is another demonstration of what can be done with a mere ten seconds of sample time, as Lord Finesse works his magic on the famed Emu SP-1200 drum machine.
DJ Premier & Joey Bada$$ : Lettin' Off Steam
A cross-generational connection that makes all the sense in the world, with two eras of Brooklyn (Preemo via Texas) coming together as part of the 2023 celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the Kool Herc party that is widely credited with being the start of Hip-Hop. Mass Appeal records put out some great EPs that year to mark the anniversary and this comes from "Hip Hop 50: Vol. 1 - EP", which was fully produced by Premier. Here, the simple boom-bap drums, with no hi-hat that I can hear, adds solidity to the structure of the beat that is headed up by a dramatic, almost abrasive sample. Joey B has no problem commanding the focus lyrically though, going fully aggressive over two verses that are broken up by the now-classic Preemo scratch hook/outro style.
Redman : Iz He 4 Real
I finally got round to digitising my vinyl of the "Muddy Waters" LP, unquestionably one of the strongest entries in Reggie Noble's catalogue, and it opens up (intro aside) strong with this one. Somehow, bearing in mind that sampling a sample/sampling Hip-Hop has always been a controversial topic within the culture, this is the second track I can think of that borrows from The Roots' "Section", which was also sampled on Beenie Man's "Who Am I?" Can you hear it now? Erick Sermon and Redman come together to construct the chunky beat here, before clearing the decks for Redman to get an unobstructed run at the mic. One verse is all he needs, slaying the track with efficiency.
9th Wonder, JADA & S14H : Ride Wit Me (Let's Ride)
I've been waiting to play this one for months, as it was available on streaming services but only for pre-ordering otherwise, which was annoying. Artists, labels, please take note - if your song is available to stream, many of us will want to actually buy it! Anyway, it finally landed as part of the "Zenith" LP from North Carolina duo JADA (beats) and S14H (rhymes). 9th Wonder executive produces here, but the actual work on the boards is done by his daughter (talk about a passing of the torch!) JADA, who takes a classic sample that EPMD touched many moons ago and shapes it into a late-night drive bumping groove. S14H's skilled flow is suitably mellow and the vibes are good, hopefully making this track a strong enough inducement for you to pick up the whole LP - I know I did.
Klashnekoff : Rest Of Our Lives (Black Rose Part 2)
It's nearly twenty years since the release of "Lionheart : Tussle With The Beast", but this track has long none of its power, with an great writer and MC talking about the gritty realities of a life that, while being his own personal story, unfortunately isn't unique by any stretch of the imagination. There's nothing I can say about the lyrics that would add any more value than the words of the man himself, so I'll leave that there and let you have a proper listen. Joe Buhdha, the Nottingham legend, is on production with a little sped-up jazz-funk foundation that becomes the perfect backing. I've looked at the digital release of this album and it seems to miss this track (sample clearance maybe), so you'll need to hunt out the CD.
[Scram Jones] Raekwon : Walk Wit Me (Instrumental)
I had a rare day off work this month and used some of it to go record shopping - the highlight was finding that the instrumentals for Raekwon's "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...Pt. II" album are now available, and on vinyl at that! Lots of top-shelf beats there, but I've picked one of the last tracks on the LP, with a gorgeously-smooth beat from DJ and producer Scram Jones, who absolutely held his own among giants like RZA, Dilla, and Pete Rock on that album. I'd recommend getting a copy before it potentially goes out of press!
Larry June & DJ Manifest : Keep Calling (Feat:Blxst)
Larry June is an MC I still haven't full taken to - though I love the energy he brings as a human from everything I've seen - but he definitely does his thing here. Montreal's DJ Manifest (rapidly becoming a must-check producer for me) decided to pay homage to June's "Until Night Comes" album by doing his own remixes and adding a few bonus tracks for good measure, of which this is one. It's all Cali on the vocals with LA's Blxst linking with San Francisco's Larry June, and Manifest laces the track with the kind of mid-tempo premium funk/synth/boogie vibes that he's continuing to make his name with.
Tall Black Guy x Michael Jackson : Love U Alwayz (Rock With You)
Incredible sample flip right here, with a beat swing that can only mandate a pulse check for you if it doesn't make you move! Detroit's Tall Black Guy has an absolutely top-flight resume when it comes to flips and remixes before you even get to the rest of his catalogue, and his "Tall Black Guy Vs Michael Jackson" collection should immediately be added to your collection if you can find it - it seems to have vanished from Bandcamp. He takes Michael Jackson's "Rock With You", drops the tempo by over 20BPM, chops it up, spaces it out, adds the low-end thump, and gives us an undeniable heater!
OXP (Onra & Pomrad) ft. Grand Puba and Pudgee Tha Phat Bastard : In The 90s
Summary : Puba - "The 90s was a special era with style and flavour". Pudgee - "You would have been shot and robbed" 🤣 To be fair, he does calm down a little later in the verse and at least bring it back to MC combat on a bright, bouncing beat from Onra and Belgian synth maven Pomrad that conjours up the club feeling of a bygone age for sure. The 2020 "Swing Convention" album is definitely worth a listen if you enjoy this one - they use all analogue equipment to craft the production for a wide range of vocalists over fourteen tracks.
DJ Epik ft. Buscrates, E-Live and Disco-E : Nunnya...
More modern synth-funk stylings on this selection, a track where having an "E" as part of your stage name wasn't compulsory but didn't hurt! Sacramento's DJ Epik is in charge here and pulls together a stellar team - Buscrates together with E-Live on the vintage keys, and Disco-E getting busy on the guitar. This was a single-only release as I understand it, and still available on Bandcamp, which is always one of the best ways to buy digital music as far as making sure the money gets into the artist's pocket.
Flamingosis : Mystic Operator
You may have heard this New Jersey/Brooklyn artist here and there in my sets, but he gave the fans of his work a major boost when he released the "Mood Provider" mixtape series of previously-unreleased music. "Mood Provider 3" came out earlier this year with absolutely no let-up in quality from the previous editions, with this track being a personal favourite. Whether or not he used one, it has all the feel of some MPC chopping action, with a few bits in there you may recognise, and perfect for a sunny day!
Busta Rhymes, Rakim, Styles P, and Dave East : Thank You New York Knicks
This single actually came out during last year's playoff run for the Knicks, but with their championship win this year, it was literally the perfect time to pull it out again! It's a very short track with brief performances from each MC, but it doesn't get much more NY than this. The beat is drawn from Eric B & Rakim's classic heater "I Ain't No Joke", and it's only right that Long Island's Rakim gets the chance to set it off, with his borough-mate Busta getting the very last word.
DJ Premier & The Alchemist : For The Gig
This release was a very pleasant surprise - it's a track that Premier and Alchemist performed when they visited Manchester, and I presume on other tour stops too! Apparently this is a team effort on production, with Preemo on the drums and cuts and ALC taking charge of the other elements - as well as getting on the mic as he did on tour.
Drama B : Where I'm From
The Bronx's Drama B is on a mission to make sure that classic boom-bap sound continues to live on, and if he keeps going like this then it should be in good hands. He's been releasing music since 2020 but is new to me, and this 2026 single was the track that brought him to my notice - absolutely attacking the mic over one mean verse, and a beat that sounds like it could have come from the DJ Muggs vaults. Drama B may have only been born in the 90s, but he clearly absorbed the flavour of that era from the air and water.
Mobb Deep : That Mobb Deep
We remember Prodigy this month with a track where he and Havoc are fully in battle mode! Over an uptempo, clean yet still slight sinister Havoc beat, both MCs take on the opposition QB style, with the last verse making it clear that Nas was at least one of the artists in their sights. Not the easiest track to find, but it's on the "Infamous Allegiance" mixtape, which is well worth finding if you're at all a fan of the Mobb.
J Dilla : Go Get Em
I can't remember if anyone has ever picked this one up to rhyme on, but they should! Flipping an early 80s electronic track for the non-percussive side of the track, Dilla demonstrates deftly that you don't always need some super-complex drum track - something simple that doesn't fight the groove of the sample does just fine. This may have turned up in various places, but I got it on "Lost Tapes, Reels + More".
Rogue VHS : Akira
I stumbled upon this one while putting a playlist together to drive out and watch a re-release of the film "Akira" with friends a few months ago! Rogue VHS is not just a synthwave producer, but also a coach - so if you work in this style and want to elevate your game, see what you think of this track! Folding in some vocal samples from the film as well as the ringing sound Tetsuo hears, it stays on theme while otherwise being its own thing musically.
Wu-Tang Clan : Chamber Music
You will never convince me that the Wu didn't save New York in this year's NBA Finals! I did think about going back to one of the earlier tracks from their catalogue, but decided instead to feature this cut from their third LP "The W". Raekwon, GZA, Masta Killa, and Method Man all kill their verses over RZA's insistent, urgent beat - complete with the signature kung-fu samples. Definitely one of the best tracks on that album, and one striking enough that the title was used for Will Ashon's excellent book on the Wu.
Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!
